There are players and then there are those that show up at the important moments. Ivica Zubac happens to belong to the latter category. Tonight he put up numbers that put him in the company of greats, particularly, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley.
Advertisement
But what did he do exactly? Well, his stat line tonight is something no player has done in 40 years! Yes, the last time somebody put up these numbers was in 1978, and it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
There is a multitude of records he broke today and more than that, he established his credentials that he is a player who can produce these numbers on a championship-contending team.
Ivica Zubac is just the fourth player in the last 10 years to have a 30-point, 25-rebound game 🤯
– 31 PTS
– 29 REB
– 3 BLK
– 14/17 FGClippers earn a W against the Pacers 🏀 pic.twitter.com/3fDfDBtrkW
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) November 28, 2022
Also read: At 21, LaMelo Ball Already May Have His Own Catchy Brand of Chips, as PJ Washington Breaks On His IG
Ivica Zubac joins the elite company of Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley
To put up 30 points and 29 rebounds is a feat in and of itself. Zubac not only did that, but he also chipped in with 3 blocks. And if he didn’t foul out, we reckon he could have picked up a 30-30 game.
But what is noteworthy is that he did this on a very efficient 80% shooting percentage. Only the greats Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have done the same.
Players with a 30/25 game on 80% shooting since the 3pt era:
Shaq
Chuck
Zubac pic.twitter.com/Co5pXpyFZK— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 28, 2022
And while that stat is the highlight of Zubac’s performance it is this that really caught our eyes. Joining Kareem as the only 2 NBA players might have the Croatian feeling better.
The Clippers say since 1973-74, when blocked shots were first tracked, Ivica Zubac is just the third player in NBA history to have at least 31 points, 29 rebounds and three blocks in a single game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the last to accomplish the feat on 2/3/78 at New Jersey. https://t.co/ZhEt32wMK0
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 27, 2022
He is also worth a measly $2.5 million, a small amount considering the NBA pays out players in the 10s of millions. With this performance, we reckon that he will be well rewarded and while he is already set to make over $10 million this year, the money will feel that much sweeter.
Do the Clippers have a new star?
This a tough question to answer at this moment in time. Zubac had a game for the ages and it could just be a one-off occurrence. Zubac has been averaging a cool 10.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. Stellar numbers.
He also has been doing this at 61.1% FG. We think this makes him a solid addition to a Clippers team. And while Kawhi Leonard is out injured, he might be smiling.
And, of course, he did!
Zubac dropped a stat line so good it made Kawhi smile 😄 pic.twitter.com/zjEXQ4rjI4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 27, 2022
Ivica Zubac throws it down 🔨
The Clippers big man has a monster 24 points and 22 rebounds 😤pic.twitter.com/wlOtehXSpW
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) November 27, 2022
How well do you think Zubac will play this season? Is this a one-off game? Or is this the rise of another Eastern European center, only this time he is Croatian?
Also read: Michael Jordan Played a Role in Helping $100 Million Worth Michael Phelps Win 23 Olympic Gold Medals
